


Cool

by spockina



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: F/M, M/M, i'll be honest and say i don't even know
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:20:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23405932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spockina/pseuds/spockina
Summary: Link's got an important visit from his past coming over for dinner. Luckily, he has a very supportive spouse.
Relationships: Christy Neal/Link Neal, Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal
Comments: 6
Kudos: 24





	Cool

**Author's Note:**

> this was inspired by the absolute fucking bop _cool_ , by gwen stefani, and i'm sure you have, but if you haven’t: give it a listen. not only because it’s a genuinely great song, but because it also sets the tone and vibe for this little thing. title is the same, because, you know, lol. (but don’t ask me where the dogs are. they’re on vacation. doggy daycare. something.)
> 
> also... i don't know what i was actually doing. guess i was trying something different with my writing. i'm not actually pleased with the result, but i guess it still makes for a fun lil thingy, so there you go

> _It’s hard to remember how it felt before  
> _ _Now I found the love of my life  
> _ _Passes things, get more comfortable  
> _ _Everything is going right  
> _ _And after all the obstacles  
> _ _It’s good to see you now with someone else_  
>  _And it’s such a miracle that you and me are still good friends  
> _ _After all that we’ve been through  
> _ _I know we’re cool_

Link is freaking out. What was he thinking when he agreed to meet in the middle of the awards season? The company is going full force; he can’t take an entire day off just for this.

And yet… He’s here fretting, woke up at 5:30 in the morning already with his nerves on end, energy wired high enough to make him feel unable to stay in bed a second longer, even if the body besides his is invitingly warm and soft on their big California King bed.

He hits the gym first, much harder than he usually does, thinking the workout might help, and it does, a little bit. He’s back and in the shower in two hours, the house still a little too quiet for 7:30 in the morning.

When he comes down, at 8, he’s blessed with the sight of his favorite human and the smell of his favorite drink. He smiles for the first time that day.

“Morning,” he says, bending down for a quick peck on the lips. “Did you miss your alarm?”

A chuckle. “Yeah, actually. You weren’t there to bother me about it, I kept hitting snooze.”

“Shame,” Link replies with a smile, pouring himself some coffee and sitting down at the table, sipping slowly. 

“Why did you open the gym this morning?”

Link considers not answering. They watch one another over their coffees until Link can’t take it anymore, his eyes being held for longer than he’s comfortable with. He caves.

“Look, I’m nervous, okay? It’s been at least six years since we last saw each other, and like, an entire decade since we sat down and talked.” He takes a breath, a second. “I _am_ nervous.”

He’s regarded with a small smile and a quiet voice. “You’re gonna be fine, Link.” A hand stretches across the table until it finds his, and then the smile turns to a snicker that makes Link smile despite the teasing words he knows are going to follow: “Fancy dinner with your ex, worried about every detail… If I didn’t know any better, I’d be very jealous. Just so you know.”

“But you do know better,” is what he replies.

“Lucky you.”

They go back to silence, Link feeling much more at ease despite himself.

Link is finally able to concentrate on the news he’s reading on his ipad, and the movements of the house remind him that he’s in the right place, always; he took the right decision. He wouldn’t change a thing.

“I’m gonna go into work,” Link hears from the living room. “Try not to give yourself an aneurysm is my absence and in the pre-presence of your ex.”

“Maybe, if you quit teasing me about it.”

Booming laughter, and then: “Never.”

The sound of shoes being put on, keys being fished, front door being open. “I’m leaving! Have a good day, babe, I love you!”

“Love you, too!” He yells back. “See you later.”

And then he’s left alone to deal with himself.

It’s not a secret to anyone in the general vicinity of Link Neal’s life that he does much, much better with company. Being left alone to his own devices rarely ever helps or works, but he thinks today just might be the day where being alone is going to be helpful.

He starts by cleaning. It’s not that the house is messy; it’s Link’s house, it’s never going to be messy, doesn’t matter who’s with him, but he needs it to be spotless today.

As he goes through the motions of house-cleaning he knows so well, he can’t help but let his mind wonder. What is going to feel like, to see that old, beloved human for the first time in years, knowing that they don’t belong to each other anymore?

They were married at one point, shared a life, and a dog, and a friendship so deep it often times made Link think they would never part, come hell, divorce, or high water. Oh, boy, he was wrong. The friendship is the part he misses the most, really. Still misses. But then the divorce came, and it was painful for a really long time. Not that it was messy. They didn’t fight over anything (except the dog, but in the end Link let her go because he’s not an asshole, okay?); they still loved each other too much for that. It was just difficult to learn that love really wasn’t the only thing that mattered in a relationship. That the biggest part of any relationship in this life is about everything else that comes along with it, and theirs clashed too hard and too often for them to keep going. 

He takes a deep breath and regrets it immediately, the duster in his hand making itself known loud and clear. He shakes his head. It’s weird thinking about it like this. Link, now, is in love; so in love it hurts, so in love he dares again dream, and laugh, adopt a dog, and… get married again.

He did, all of those things.

He was afraid, scared, _terrified_ at the start, consumed by fear of everything crumbling in front of his eyes again. Each new step they took was laced in Link’s fears (and, often times, in his tears, too). But they still did it. And they’re still standing.

Not even that, they’re floating. Link can positively say he’s never been happier in his entire life. He’s fifty years old, owner of a company, father of two dogs. Happily married. He’s a Southern boy through and through, and that’s the only thing he’d always wanted to say: “I’m married”. He gets to say it again, and he knows that, this time around, he’s never stopping. 

He’s been married almost eleven years, is what he’s thinking, as he dusts the million picture-frames in one of the hallways. They’ve been together fifteen years, going sixteen this year. Life has been good to him.

His phone ringing brings him out of it.

“Yeah?” He says, instead of anything better.

“Babe, I called the restaurant to set up what time I’m picking up your food and they say there’s nothing under either of our names?”

He can feel the panic rising. “Oh Gosh, how?”

“I don’t know. Text me the receipt or something and I’ll call them again.”

The call is through before he can say anything else, and so he sorts through his e-mails until he finds the damn thing, and forwards it. Stress makes him continue his idle dusting, even though there’s no dust to speak of, until his phone dings with a text message. _All good, they just got confused. Breathe again. Love you._

He laughs, and heads for a shower. Spends far too long choosing his outfit, and decides he’s not gonna feel guilty about that – he wants his little bubble to showcase just how happy he is, how good he feels. No one can blame him for _that_. 

When he gets downstairs, he’s met with the smell of good food and some low music.

“Uh, you’re back early…?” He says, in what wasn’t supposed to be a question, but sounds like that anyways.

“I’m sure you want me looking like a supermodel?” Is what he gets in the same tone.

He blushes deep, and the booming laughter he gets in response makes him smile anyway. 

They move around each other, chatting about their respective days while plating food and setting the dinner table, until they end up just standing in the middle of the kitchen, talking softly.

“You should go shower. They’re going to be here in an hour or so.”

He’s met with warm eyes and a sly tilt of a mouth that isn’t quite a smile, but shines all the same. “Alright. Alright, Link, I will. I won’t tell you to relax, but maybe breathe, okay?” They kiss, and Link is left alone.

He can feel the anxiety creeping up, sweat rolling down his spine, and he cocks his hip against the kitchen island, thrumming with nervous energy, changing the music just for something to do.

They had been joking and teasing about tonight, but Link almost feels like he needs to apologize. He knows there’s no suspicion, but he isn’t fully able to articulate his nerves, and he’s feeling guilty about it.

He’s yanked from his thoughts by hands on his ass making him jump.

“Oh, Gosh, you almost killed me!” He says, but they’re laughing.

He turns the touch into an embrace, makes himself as small as possible. Clears his throat.

“I’m sorry about all of this. I know this is untoward, and I know you’re not suspicious or anything, but I still wanted to say something.”

There’s a sigh, and the embrace becomes a little tighter. “You’re right that I’m not suspicious, but I do wonder why all of this?”

“I feel like there’s something I need to prove,” he finally admits, voice so small he’s afraid he won’t be heard – but that would never happen.

“Well, there isn’t.” Is the reply, matter-of-fact. “It is what it is. But even so, you could never know otherwise. They’re coming into our home, not the other way around. It’s only worth proving if you’re gonna get to see the other side, and you clearly won’t. North Carolina is a long ways away for the both of us, and I ain’t going there for a double dinner date.”

“That’s not why they’re coming here.”

“I know, I know, I heard the phone call. Business, or vacation, or whatever have you, doesn’t matter. What matters is still that they’re the ones coming in here. We are happy because _we_ are happy, not because we need to show other people, and especially not to show your ex, okay?”

“Yeah,” he says. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“Didn’t you say you guys were cool, man?” A nod. “Then be it.”

A deep breathe. “Okay, yes. Thanks, babe. Thank you.”

“I love you for you, Link. I just wanna make sure you’re happy with our life. Just say yes and I’ll believe it’s just ‘meeting your ex’ jitters.”

Link steps way to look into his favorite eyes. “I love you more than everything. I’d shoot both of our dogs and then myself if I had to in order to save your life.”

“Hey, shut up, that’s so morbid,” is the reply he gets between a giggle fit. “Okay, alright, I believe you, don’t kill our girls.”

It’s a little while later, Link divided between browsing his phone with no objective, and the awareness of being watched from the other end of the couch, when they can hear tires in the gravel of their driveway.

He’s asked, “Are you ready?” But he doesn’t reply.

He just stands, opens the front door, can feel the solid presence at his side, giving him the choice of what to do, how to introduce them. 

When the car doors open, Link takes a deep breath, but upon seeing the figure, he can’t help his smile. There really are no hard feelings, and he’s suddenly glad to see them walking towards him, even if he doesn’t know half of this couple.

They embrace immediately when close enough, among a number of “it’s been so long” and “you haven’t changed a thing” and “I miss you!”, and Link is vaguely aware of hands being shaken by their side.

When they pull apart, Link has a million-watts smile on his face, huge mouth full of teeth in full display, and steps back into the hand waiting to touch the small of his back where it belongs, says:

“Rhett, meet Christy Neal. Christy, meet my husband, Rhett McLaughlin-Neal.”

**Author's Note:**

> ps: there was no editing or proofreading. i barely reread it just to make sure there wasn't something actually insane in it lol. feel free and encouraged to point out mistakes (or maybe just tell me how dumb it is lol)
> 
> this was originally posted on tumblr [@spockina](https://spockina.tumblr.com/post/182207304864/cool); you can find me there


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